Down ballot: New ads and MA takes a turn

Per National Journal's Hotline: "House Majority PAC is launching a quartet of new television ads Tuesday, expanding the Democratic super PAC's reach to two more districts in Arizona and returning to one each in Illinois and Virginia with follow-ups to previous ads. Each spot is tailored to specifics of the districts. Three (Arizona's 1st District, Illinois's 17th District, and Virginia's 2nd District) are Republican-held, while the fourth (Arizona's 9th District) is a new seat created in redistricting. The ad for GOP Rep. Bobby Schilling's sprawling Illinois district is being broadcast in two media markets (Peoria and Rockford) by House Majority PAC while SEIU, the super PAC's frequent TV advertising partner, is paying for an identical ad in the Quad Cities market."

MASSACHUSETTS: "As Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and challenger Elizabeth Warren (D) enter the final phase of their exceedingly tight race, each is seeking to undermine the other on the very traits that had been considered their greatest political strengths: his independence and her character. Brown is suggesting that the woman who made a national reputation as a fierce advocate for the middle class and consumers is a phony. Warren, meanwhile, is urging Massachusetts voters to look beyond their affection for Brown to consider the votes he has cast and the national consequences of an election that could help return the Senate to Republican control," The Washington Post writes. "Brown on Monday launched the most brutal salvo yet in a campaign that until recently was notable for its civility. His new television ad highlights the controversy over Warren’s unproved claim that she is of Native American heritage. It also raises the possibility — also unproved, and denied by those involved in hiring her — that she claimed minority status for professional advancement."